I throw on a red flannel I found on my floor and literally jump into a pair of dark jean shorts over my black leggings, as I lunge to grab my black vans in a graceful swoop, I lose my balance and end up sliding on the carpet.
"Ow!" I screech to myself as I rapidly tie my shoes, and with a hard shove on the tan carpet, I'm back on my feet again. I grab a brown leather bag, filled with the most random things. I think there might still be silly putty in there... Not the point. Anyway, I run down the hall, waving by to Iris in the living room, talking on the phone with someone.
A smile pulls on my lips as I burst out the front door and begin to run down the street. My legs carry me at a pace that is most certainly faster than I've ever run before, my hair whipping behind me. I see the houses stop, and I run and take a hard left into a sandy wash. I run down with much struggle, my feet sinking and slipping with my fast footfalls.
As the sand begins to fade, it's replaced by short patchy grass, which gradually grows taller. I run around and look behind me, the wash stretching far back. I hold my hand up to the sun, and I can tell it's roughly 3 pm. Today is Sunday. The world is mine today. Everyone is doing something. Be it staying home and relaxing or going to church or doing homework. Either way, today the world is mine.
I quickly run into a small problem. My sandy little wash has decided to split into two. In a 'Y'-like shape. On my right, the wash is green and turns very foresty, which is suiting for this place. ON my left, the sand returns and it almost looks deserty. I wonder if this has any secret symbolism for life...
Nah.
I'll explore the forest leg first, since that seems regionally appropriate, and then when that inevitably comes to a disappointing end, I'll go down the desert one, which seems like it was misplaced. As I'm walking, I smile. The air feels fresh and adrenaline pulses in my veins.
I've always liked to wander. It's a bad habit. This is how stories get made. This is how adventures start. Sure, maybe a 17-year-old girl wandering down an unknown path in the middle of what looks like it's beginning to open up into a forest isn't the best idea, but I haven't been kidnapped yet. So why not live a little?
I hear a twig snap, and even more adrenaline shoots to my brain. It's dizzying. The figure in front of me is male, tall, and has a dark backpack. I take in a sharp breath, which causes the person to whip around.
Roughly 15 feet in front of me is a boy, with brown hair, who literally has a small knife with a wooden handle pointed at me.
"Iris?" He asks, his voice is steady. I feel my knees begin to shake from behind coiled and ready to fight or flee at any second.
"Connor?" I ask, disbelief hitting me with the same force as a panicked raccoon.
"What are you doing here?"
I relax a little, "I could ask you the same."
Connor takes a step towards me as his knife drops, "I did ask first. It's only common courtesy you answer me first," He smirks a little as he folds the blade and jams it back into his pocket of his jeans.
"I'm going to be honest, I'm a bit more concerned with that knife you had pointed at me than answer your question," I raise and eyebrow as I nod to his pocket.
Connor glances down, and looks me over once again, "You're... not Iris..." He starts slowly, "Are you?"
I begin to walk towards the boy as I chuckle, "Ding ding, ring the bell, win a prize!" I exclaim with a slight eye roll, "What gave me away?"
Connor takes a deep breath and pinches the bridge of his nose, "Oh, I don't know. You're a different kind of sassy."
I shrug, "I can live with that."
I pass Connor and continue on my way. After all, adventure awaits me!
I hear footsteps jog up on my left, "You never answered my question," Connor flicks his hair and draws his eyebrows together.
I glance at him slightly, only for a moment as I marvel at how the light filters through the trees. It was a good decision to go this way. There's a lot of potential here, "You had so many. I don't know where to start. Oh! I know! How about with why you were in history the other day?"
Connor stops dead in his tracks, mouth hanging open. I only glance back for a second as I see this, "Bye! See yah later!" I let my words carry light feathers in a light breeze.
"Who are you?!" Connor yells from behind me, sound more confused than I've heard him, "Don't you dare walk away from me!"
I turn around, planting my hands on my hips, "What are you going to do if I keep walking?"
"I can make your life a living disaster at school," Connor threatens, and I feel rage being to boil inside me.
"Oh like it already isn't?" I sneer, "And will Mama not let you swear?" I bat my eyelashes at him and give him a fake pouty face and I feel a hand on my shoulder as I begin to move again.
"Who are you..?"
"Addison. Try not to forget this time."
"Alright, Addison," Connor smiles as he matches his footfalls with mine, "Tell me about yourself."
